Hall of Shame Moment: Gene Simmons Fires Himself on Celebrity Apprentice

Gene Simmons quit on The Celebrity Apprentice. He may not have laid down a torch, walked away from a gold ticket, or pulled his suitcase aimlessly around the streets of New York, but he quit all the same. In doing so he showed a lack of respect for his charity, the game, and his friend Donald Trump.

The structure of the show calls for contestants to be split into two teams that try to perform a series of tasks better than their opponents. When a team fails, they must face Donald Trump in a Boardroom setting where those perceived responsible for failure are eliminated. Showcasing one’s talents along the way, the ultimate objective is to be the last one standing and be named “The Apprentice.”

In a variation for this season, the real winners are charities. Each week, healthy cash donations get distributed to a charity associated with the leader of the winning team.

That’s the way the show works, and even in a celebrity season, participants are obligated to work within that structure. To act at cross purposes disrespects the game.

Somewhere near the end of the third episode, Gene Simmons left the script. Whatever his reasoning and irrespective of his commitments to Trump and his charity, I think Gene just decided it was time for him to go home.

He was wrong. There was so much more he could have accomplished by hanging on.

Obviously, the primary reason Gene should have remained on the show was to direct more money to his charity. Although Gene did win $20,000, there was still a lot more money to be doled out, including the winner’s sum of $250,000. In fact, the official website tells us that over a million dollars in total will be raised for the various charities this season.

As evidenced by the way Trump supported Gene in his final Boardroom, The Donald was very willing to keep Gene in the game for a while longer. By bailing early, Gene almost certainly cost his charity money… possibly a lot of money.

There are other reasons Gene should have fought to stay on the show that might mean more to Gene on a personal level.

An inner force drives Gene that one might call ego, arrogance, pride, or conceit, depending on one’s point of view. This is manifested in his desire to show others that he is a rich, powerful, influential, and intelligent man. By leaving the show early, Gene missed several additional opportunities to be in the spotlight and display his superior powers.

Finally, I’m especially surprised Gene did not seek the accolades sure to befall the winner of The Celebrity Apprentice. This would be further confirmation of his power, his vision, and his intelligence.

As this Moment is specifically for the way Gene performed in the Boardroom, I will recap the details of that fatal third Boardroom. Right off the top, it became transparently obvious that Trump was going to be extremely reluctant to fire Gene. However, Gene was determined to get out of this commitment.

Normally in the Boardroom, the smart play is for players to highlight what they did right, explain their shortcomings, and draw attention to the problems of others. Gene did exactly the opposite.

As discussion started, Gene reiterated his insult to the sponsor executives that he knew what was best for Kodak, even if they did not. The sponsors are Trump’s associates and friends, and this is also an indirect insult to Trump himself.

A bit later, discussion drifted to performance issues of others and Nely Galán in particular. Gene quickly shifted focus back onto himself, even unnecessarily taking the blame for the sponsor’s poor opinion of Nely.

When the time came to bring two teammates back into the final Boardroom, Gene named only Omarosa. Fearing to make a decision between those two, Trump made moves we’d never seen before. First, he helpfully reminded Gene that the sponsor didn’t like Nely. Then, Trump requested that Gene name a second individual to bring back into the Boardroom. Clearly, Trump wanted to convince Gene to fight to stay in the game!

Choosing to be contrary, Gene snubbed Trump’s overt hints that were he to choose Nely, that’s who would be fired. He nominated innocent Olympian Jennie Finch instead. This was an irrevocably self-destructive move, as neither Jennie nor Omarosa had any real responsibility for the loss. Trump was placed in a visibly uncomfortable position, and left with no viable options. A disappointed Trump apologetically fired Gene.

Trump considered Gene a friend. It was a slap in the face for Donald to have his other friends and his pet process treated so shabbily.

In summary, after Gene Simmons led his team to a loss, he put forth no effort to save himself in the Boardroom, even sabotaging The Donald’s efforts to save him. He made it impossible for Trump to make any decision other than to fire Gene. It was horrible game play, contrary to the purpose for which they were assembled, and surely disappointing for his charity. And that is why Gene Simmons must be recognized with a Reality TV Hall Of Shame Moment.

Brian can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email!

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